Martha Adeline Orders McFarlin

Martha Adeline Orders McFarlin, 77, of Morganton passed away April 27, 2013, while surrounded by her family after a long extended illness.Born April 14, 1936 in Burke County, she was the only child of the late Carl E. Orders and Sadie Duckworth Orders. Martha was a lifelong member of First United Methodist Church in Morganton. However, she thoroughly enjoyed visiting multiple other churches throughout Burke County on a regular basis.Martha graduated from Morganton High School, class of 1954, and from Appalachian State Teachers College, Boone, NC, class of 1957 where she received her teaching degree in elementary education. While attending college, Martha was a proud member of the school’s marching and concert bands.After graduating college, Martha moved to St. Augustine, FL. to begin her teaching career as a first grade teacher at Fullerwood School. Martha taught in Florida for 7 years before moving back to Morganton NC, to continue teaching in the first grade at Salem Elementary and later after a long fulfilling career retired from the Burke County Public School System. Years after retiring from teaching, Martha was especially proud of running into and talking with her many past students and sharing in their life experiences.Martha was a devoted mother who dearly loved her children, extended family members, and many Burke County Friends.Her simple pleasures in life besides her family, including swimming in her pool, walking on the beach collecting seashells and sharks teeth, loving and caring for her animals, watching the beautiful birds feeding in her back yard, especially her beloved cardinals, and sitting in her front yard lawn chairs watching the traffic pass by the house. Martha also enjoyed reading her daily devotionals and studying her bible.Martha was a lifelong member of Mimosa Chapter of the Eastern Star. Later in her life she found enjoyment in working out in the early mornings at Phifer Wellness Center in Morganton with those many friends she made who were there for their own rehabilitation.In addition to her parents she was preceded in death by her aunt, Winnie Garrison Hagerman. Those left to cherish her memory include her daughter, Margo Caroline McFarlin, a son, William Orders McFarlin, and his fiancée, Sheila Marie Johnson.Funeral services to celebrate Martha’s life will be held this Tuesday, April 30, 2013 at 4:00 p.m. in the Colonial Chapel of Sossoman Funeral Home and Crematory Center with the honorable Reverend Jerry Gamble officiating. Burial will follow at Burke Memorial Park. The family will receive friends one hour prior to the service at the funeral home.In lieu of flowers, the family suggest memorials be made to any of the following agencies, Burke County friends for animals (BCFFA), P.O. Box 1884, Morganton, NC 28680, Burke Hospice and Palliative Care, Inc., 1721 Enon Rd., Valdese, NC 28690 or to the Shriners Children’s Hospital, P.O. Box 606, Valdese, NC 28690.The family wishes to give a heartfelt thank you to the staffs at both Grace Heights Rehabilitation Center and Grace Hospital for all the gentle and loving care that they provided for their mother.The family also wishes to thank Dr. David Abernathy for all the years of devoted service that he provided for Martha during her life.